


In Happy Dreams Your Smile Make Day Of Night

by 520loveline



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Dream World, Fluff, It's not actually soulmate but like very close, M/M, Romantic Soulmates, jisung don't know how to deal with feelings, nct has a cameo, teen and up audiences bc swearing, they're just whipped for each others
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-06
Updated: 2019-10-28
Packaged: 2020-11-24 20:37:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,892
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20913749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/520loveline/pseuds/520loveline
Summary: « Jisung never knows the exact moment he wakes up. The feeling of Minho’s hand was still lingering on his, making him remember the whereabouts of his past dream. Like every one of his recent adventures with the boy, he woke up with a fuzzy sensation in his chest, and an unknown feeling in his heart. He squeezed his eyes, burying his head under the welcoming blankets, trying to fall back asleep. He wanted to go back to his dream, back to this world where Minho exists, where he can hold his hand, feel the warmth of his body.If only all of this was real.»AU where Jisung and Minho meet trough their dreams, unaware that they both live in the same world.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is my very first fanfiction,,,, I'm finally posting it on here, I'm feeling so brave  
I hope y'all will like it ! Sleep and dreams are subjects that are very dear to me so this fanfic is my whole baby, I hope I was able to communicate all of my emotions in it ~  
Also, English not being my first language, I excuse myself if I made some mistakes (but I hope it's okay).  
Have a good reading !
> 
> PS: I kept 3racha (as the hip hop group) in this fanfic, but they're not idols

Jisung didn’t know for how long he was running. Endless streets of a city he didn’t recognize but felt so familiar were making his path, while the presence chasing him was pushing the boy to keep running, struggling to keep rhythm as it seemed like his legs were made out of thick jelly. Lingering fear was sticking to his back in the street that seemed everlasting when he suddenly realized. Nothing was chasing him. He was dreaming. 

Stopping his course, Jisung allowed himself to catch his breath, taking a second to observe his environment, becoming more aware as the fear left him. It was a narrow paved back alley, and a deep black sky was above his head. The only source of deem light was a streetlight next to him. The atmosphere felt unreal, as if everything was deformed by a soft mist, it was indeed what felt like a lucid dream.

Jisung’s dreams were always quite realistic, at least more than what his friends were telling him. And almost each of them holds a common characteristic, a certain someone. 

« Minho ? » the young boy called, hearing footsteps.

Revealing himself from the darkness of the street, the man called Minho emerged in the dull light.

« How disappointing. I was dreaming that I was following a cat, but I only found a squirrel. » he said, faking a pout.

Minho and Jisung knew each other since primary school in the dream world. Their first encounter was a bit more than ten years ago, both of them having a simple dream where they were playing ball games together with a bunch of other unknowns kids. At first, their meetings together were rare, but the older they got the more often they met, getting closer to each other with time. 

« A handsome squirrel, you should find yourself lucky ! retorted Jisung.

\- I mean, you look miserable. What happened to you ? blatantly said Minho.

\- I don’t know, answered Jisung almost unbothered by this expected teasing, it felt like I was running away from something.» While saying those words, he looked back behind him, making sure that all traces of dangers were gone. Most of his fear may have left, but only to leave him with the uncomfortable feeling that gives out too realistic bad dreams.

Minho blinked, looking worryingly at the younger boy. His past own dreams were quite nice for him, but Jisung seemed like he was often going through tough ones for a while now, making him worried about his well being.

« You’re always dreaming of that, carefully started Minho, right ? I heard that dreaming to be chased mean that you're avoiding or scared of something. » these words made the other boy turns his head towards him, noticing the sudden serious tone .« Sungie, is everything okay ? »

Jisung bites his lip, looking back at the ground. Like always, Minho was able to read him like an open book- which should not be surprising for someone being literally inside his head. Anyway, his dream’s situations were already weird enough, he might as well take this opportunity to get some feelings out of his heart. 

« Not really... you’re right, there is something. »

Jisung let out a sign, letting the memories of his real-life events flowing through his mind. He let himself drop against a wall, next to the streetlight providing minimal lightning to the allay. Minho felt the burden of Jisung hearth, and carefully, he came to sit next to him, curiously observing what is supposed to be a creation of his mind. 

« With my friends, we’re going to submit our work to a company tomorrow. Like, you know, so far we were just making our stuff by ourselves. We have a meeting with a producer. I’ve always felt confident about my capacities, but... » Jisung swallowed, trying to find the right way to put into words the thoughts clouding his head for the past days. « What if it proves me wrong ? What if we’re not capable of starting a career... or that I’m the one not capable and bringing everyone down ? There is a tone of people way better than me out there, sometimes, I can’t help but think that they deserve more than me. »

The older let the information some time to sink, feeling the sudden vulnerability of his dream companion. Even if all of this was just a dream, it felt so realistic, making him feel the emotion coming out of the younger boy and radiating on himself, painfully clenching his heart. After thinking a moment of what to say, he put his hand on top of Jisung’s, squeezing it slightly.

« You don’t have to be scared of anything, okay ? I know how much determination and talent you have, I know you like if I was inside of your own head. » He accentuated his words by pocking the younger boy's forehead, getting a chuckle out of him at the obvious truth of his words. « So just relax, you’re sleeping right now and there is no need to torment yourself with that for the moment. Your friends love you and want to go through that with you and no one else, okay ? » 

He ended his small speech with a little squeeze of Jisung's hand, who was now looking at him with a soft smile, feeling already some of his tension vanishing. He let himself close the space between their two bodies, resting his head on the steady shoulder next to him and letting the warmth of the older boy's body appease his heart. Despite their constant teasing, their presence always had a healing effect on both of them.

« Okay », muttered the smaller one, feeling his emotions coming at peace with the words and proximity of Minho.

Jisung never knows the exact moment he wakes up. The feeling of Minho’s hand was still lingering on his, making him remember the whereabouts of his past dream. Like every one of his recent adventures with the boy, he woke up with a fuzzy sensation in his chest, and an unknown feeling in his heart. He squeezed his eyes, burying his head under the welcoming blankets, trying to fall back asleep. He wanted to go back to his dream, back to this world where Minho exists, where he can hold his hand, feel the warmth of his body. 

If only all of this was real.

* * *

* * *

Somewhere else in the city, another pair of eyes we’re opening up to reality, heavy eyelids struggling to fight the blinding morning light filtered through the curtains. 

« You woke up later than usual today. Did you have one of your dreams ? »

Minho had dragged himself out of his bedroom, only for him to meet Felix, his roommate, laying carelessly on the couch, scrolling through his phone. Both of them were in the same dance major at university. 

« Yeah, usual » answered Minho while yawning, crashing himself in the free space next to Felix. His answer immediately caught the Aussie's attention, straightening himself from his position for better listening.

« You met that Jisung guy again, right ? How is he doing ? cheerfully asked the younger one.

\- Don’t talk about him like he's a real person, it’s weird, grunted Minho.»

He didn’t like very much to put the boy haunting his dreams in his everyday life, not enjoying the feeling of mixing real and unreal. Jisung only exists at night, he shouldn’t bring him in the bright and vivid day world. Another reason, that he doesn't want to admit to himself, was that weird emotion that he was feeling when he was thinking about the boy of his dream, like if the beating of his heart was all of a sudden malfunctioning. Developing that kind of sentiment for someone unreal is definitely no good.

But one time, he needed to share one of his dreams with Felix, who was not only his roommate but also one of his close friends. This may have not been the best idea if he didn’t want to have an almost daily reminder of his night's adventures, considering how passionate Felix became with it.

« ...But he wasn’t feeling good tonight, Minho continued nonetheless. I think he was stressed. 

\- What happened ?

\- Do you remember when he said he was doing music with some friends ? They’re going to sign up for a company, or something. I think he said the meeting was supposed to happen today’s morning...» 

_ It’s soon, I hope he’ll be okay,_ unconsciously thought Minho. He quickly snapped out of this reflection, having to remind himself that he was only in his head.

« That’s amazing how real it seems... dreams aren’t supposed to have such solid storyline ! enthusiastically cheered Felix. All of the information you’re telling me about him make sense and follow each of your dreams... » he trailed the last words, losing himself in the thought of this singular case for a second before jumping right back in the subject. « Oh yeah ! Did he still tell you that he dreamed of being chased ? Did you tell him what I read about the meaning of those dreams ? It makes perfect sense now ! He was unconsciously trying to avoid the meeting with the company !»

The freckled boy was almost bouncing on the couch with excitation, exalted to see every piece putting themselves together.

« You have way too much energy for a Saturday morning » whined Minho, grabbing a pillow and getting more comfortable on their couch, starting to regret his bed.

« And that’s not all ! Guess what else I read about dreams.

\- ... and you put way too much interest in this, grumbled Minho in his pillow.

\- When you meet people in your dream, if you ask them if they know they're part of your dream, they’ll always deny it, whatever happens, continued Felix, ignoring his grumpy friend's commentary. But Jisung is pretty much aware of the dream world, right ? Like a normal person, he makes the difference between the real and unreal world. That’s crazy !

\- Then it just means I have on hell of a fictional world. I guess I’m making up for not having an imaginary friend as a child. »

On these words, the older got up from the couch to get some breakfast, putting an end to Felix’s chatter.

« You’re no fun ! » the latter whined, getting up to follow Minho on his path.

« I hope Jisung and his friends will get taken into this company. He sounds like someone nice, Felix wondered.

\- Well, I’ll make him get taken. His part of my dream, so I’m supposed to have absolute control over that. »

_ Right ? _ thought Minho, _ because he’s only part of my imagination. _


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Jisung and Minho finally start to realize their attraction in the dream world, an unexpected factor from the exterior came to disrupt their story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, we're now really jumping in the heart of this fanfiction.  
I hope you liked it so far, good reading ~

The sky was pitch black, it was night. The complete absence of clouds was showing a myriad of glowing stars lining the welkin, framing a beautifully shining full moon. Minho was laying down on fresh grass, stargazing while letting the rain pouring on him. Because despite no clouds to see, a light and gentle rain was showering from the sky. But Minho already knew for a while now that he was dreaming. He just had to wait for the someone that he knew he was going to meet, like in every one of his lucid dreams.

« Minho ! » 

Hurried footsteps were getting closer, and an out of breath Jisung appeared in his viewing range. 

« You took your time tonight. » remarked Minho in a non-accusing tone while starting to stand up, giving his full attention to the younger one.

« I was looking for you... » started Jisung before choking on his breath, having to slow down his talking, « but I couldn’t find you until now. This place is so big, I thought I would wake up before seeing you ! », he finished, finally looking at Minho in the eyes. 

The first thought that crossed Minho’s mind was how the boy’s eyes were putting to shame every star gleaming above their heads. His bright smile was making him shine stronger than the full moon, bringing a beam of sunlight in the obscure night world. 

« We got accepted by the agency ! 3RACHA is officially signed up at JYP ! » Jisung announced, his voice one octave higher due to excitation. 

Minho immediately reflected the younger’s smile, taking him into a warm hug without thinking it, getting along with his adorable splurge of excitation.

« I knew you’ll make it ! » he truthfully told him, eyes reflecting Jisung's shining ones, after separating themselves from their embrace.

They didn’t care about the pouring rain, its feeling being welcomed as nice and refreshing as it was. Minho continued to watch Jisung with a light smile as he was excitedly talking about the new opportunities being in a company was offering, and how proud he was of his teammates and him for being able to come from so far. 

« Actually, I was able to do good because of what you told me in our last dream, » shyly told Jisung, scratching the back of his head out of embarrassment. « I don’t know how you do it, but you always manage to make me feel, like, better. I like being with you, really. »

Red was dusting the smaller one’s cheeks with pretty colors, flustered due to suddenly opening his feelings toward the literal man of his dreams. Minho felt his heart melt, finding this small confession way to charming.

« I don’t want to ever wake up », suddenly said the older one.

Jisung looked up to him, his eyes having fled to his feet after his sudden embarrassment. Minho’s eyes were locked with his, making him feel the utter truth of his words and their so intimate connexion. The moon shining upon him was glowing onto his shapes soaked due to the rain, making him even more ethereal than he already was.

Jisung’s mind was running wild. _ Fuck it _ , he thought. _ After all, this is just a dream, right ? I can at least make the most of it. _

It all took place quickly, Minho almost didn’t get the time to understand what was happening. Jisung closed the gap between the two of them, getting slightly on his tip-toes to match the small height difference, selling the two boys in a kiss as light and gentle as the rain. 

Minho woke up with butterflies in his stomach, suddenly sitting up straight on his bed as soon as he emerged from the dream’s world. He touched his lips, the sensation of the softness of the younger one still being way too real on his. His cheeks were burning in the darkness of his room while he was processing what just happens.

_ Fuck, my feelings are becoming way too real. I think I'm starting to fell in love with Han Jisung. _

* * *

* * *

Music was blasting in Jisung, Chan and Changbin shared apartment, their small living room being occupied with people holding cups of various drinks. This small party held by 3RACHA to celebrate their contract with JYP was nothing special, a mere get together with their friends as a way to fete over their achievement. 

« Hey, Jisung ! Get over here ! »

Jisung turned his head to see Chan sitting on the couch with Changbin and another guy he never saw before, the latest chatting with the short rapper. Jisung must have missed his entrance in the party and failed to greet him, probably due to him being lost in his thoughts, his last night’s dream being still too clear in his memories. He shook his head to get his mind back on the right track and went to sit down on an unoccupied chair near the couch, catching the attention of the unknown man.

« Jisung, this is Johnny, one of my old friends, started to introduce Chan. I believe I already talked about him to you. And Johnny, this is Jisung, 3RACHA’s maknae, like you already know. 

\- The one who always freestyle lyrics last second ?, questioned in a casual tone the tall and charsimatic man.

\- Channie-hyung, what have you been telling about me ! » 

Chan just laughs it off, and the three boys went back to their initial conversation. Jisung was fixating his empty glass, fighting to think about anything but Minho. But it wasn't easy when his mind seemed to always find back its way to how his last dream felt just _right_. 

« Jisung, are you alright ? » asked Chan out of concern, seeing that the younger habitual cheerful-self wasn’t as lively as usual for this party. 

« It’s nothing, don’t worry. I just had a weird dream again this night and I can’t get it off of my mind, that’s all, he brushed off. 

\- Jeez, Jisung, your dreams are always taking up so much on your mind, how can I not worry !

\- What’s up with his dreams ? asked Johnny out of the blues, sitting in the middle of the two rappers.

\- Nothing much, I got used to it anyway », quickly answered Jisung will scratching his neck, embarrassed to go down that kind of conversation again. Johnny let out a "mmh" of approbation before taking a sip of his drink and continuing nonetheless. 

« Chan, do you remember that friend I had in university ? Kim Jungwoo ? He was a psychology major, his thing was to study sleep. Well, I’ve got news about him recently, he just started his career at a laboratory called "NCT". It’s a big union of diverse psychologists and scientists based around the world- he’s one of the youngest there I believe.

\- And what’s NCT ? asked Changbin, to get the older back on his initial track.

\- It stands for something like "Neo Culture Technology", but they’re mostly making studies about dreams. Their thing is the "Synchronization of Dream", it’s a pretty unknown field for the moment. »

Jisung’s head straightens out, all of his attention and sense directed toward Johnny. It’s true, to be the one who had gone through all dream thesis he could have found on the internet and in libraries, the dream field is still a huge unknown map of human psychology. Opening a laboratory all about this kind of study is pretty big news.

« Anyway, I don’t remember everything though, continued Johnny on a more casual tone. But I know they’re searching for guinea pigs to put their dream on observation, and try to gather more data. If you think your dreams are worth being studied, you should check out their website. »

* * *

* * *

The party was over long ago, it was now deep in the early morning in the small apartment that now looked big due to the sudden lack of people presences. 3RACHA was slumped on the couch, to the exception of Jisung, being captivated by the screen of the laptop on his lap. 

« Fuck, my head hurt... I think I’m going to sleep here or I’ll die, whined Changbin.

\- Someone threw up in your bedroom anyway, might as well lock it down, answered Chan, already slipping into sleep.

\- Who made Hyunjin drink, he can’t handle alcohol for shit.

\- It was you.

\- ... okay, I admit it was fun at the moment. »

Jisung was too lost in his mind to listen to his friends’ words, his eyes reading again and again the words on NCT’s official website. 

_ « In the phase of deep sleep, it is believed that we can enter the "Synchronisation of Dreams", a state where two persons can reach the same connexion through dreams. Our Dream Lab started a world premiere research about this transcendental state of sleep going further than what we would have believed the human mind was ever capable of, something we barely could have imagined possible only a few years ago. _

_ Dream Lab is reuniting under NCT researchers from all over the globe to unite with the same goal: proving to the world and science the much deeper connection dreams can bring. _

_ Participants will be needed to pursue the research, thus helping us to finally unveil the secret of the human’s mind. _

_ For a money reward and a free analysis of your dream’s pattern, all that will be asked is a night of sleep with one of our exclusive dream devices headsets, our latest technology. A meeting with one of our professionals will be following.» _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're finally getting into the part where I'm trying to sound scientific sjkcjka  
Fun fact: NCT was not supposed to be in this fanfic at all, but while trying to think of a concept explaining the origins of their dreams, nctmentary naturally came to my mind... so I chose to fully assumed my influence and here we go (nctmentary are super fun to watch if you haven't watched them yet!)
> 
> My twt is @britneyspearb
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jisung was getting more and more confused, his sudden shift of behavior worrying Minho. But he found himself taking a step closer to unveil the truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is pretty short, but I'll hope you'll like it nonetheless  
Good reading ~

Jisung swore that he’ll never watch horror movies again. Well, at least, that’s what he’ll swear as soon as he’ll wake up from this more than obvious setting for a nightmare: a haunted old and creaking house. 

Behind the dirty old windows crossed by rusty bars who prevented anyone from getting away, a raging storm was making the walls shake, sounds of thunder filling Jisung’s ears. The most primitive feeling of fear was haunting him, clueless of his current sleeping state. He knew something was about to jump on him from a moment to another, but his legs didn’t wanted to listen to his running order, making him progress through the house in an agonizingly slow pace, his heartbeat painfully ringing against his eardrum.

Getting through decors he didn’t know yet were the carbon copy of the one he saw in that horror movie, he finally got to the front door. Opening it, he used all of his mind power to get his legs in the outside world, a last effort pushed by the coating fear sticking to his body. 

The only thing facing the house was a dense murky forest, a little road sliding between the old trees as the only way of escape. This time, the rain wasn’t sweet or gentle. It was harsh, cold and drowning, making him feel small and powerless in front of the deep dark wood. 

Suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck, illuminating a daunting shadow right in front of the young boy, pulling out of his throat an ugly screech fed by irrational fear. 

« NO NO PLEASE DON’T KILL ME!

\- IT’S JUST ME DUMBASS YOU’RE DREAMING! »

Jisung blinked, his body still being completely froze in shock, getting a better look at the person facing him. Here was a very offended looking Minho, holding up a large black umbrella. 

« Get under here, would you ? You’re getting drenched. » Minho left some space to squeeze for Jisung, who was surprised by the efficiency of the object. Immediately, any sounds of storm were gone and the cold was replaced by an appealing warmth and feeling of relieving security he desperately needed in the present moment. 

« What happened there ?, started Minho, curiously. You look like you just saw yourself in a mirror. 

\- Do I look blessed ?! Oh my god, please remind me to never watch horror movies again, » mumbled Jisung while getting closer to the older one. The latest smile grew bigger, endeared to see his adorable pout, the main reason for his constant teasing on the younger one.

« Next time bring me out in your world, I’ll kick every monster’s ass for you », he said will grabbing the shorter hand, accentuating his words with a strong and comforting hold. 

Jisung was about to respond when reality suddenly hit him. All the information he read on NCT’s website, his purchase of the dream tracking headset, and his now soon meeting with an expert. What if Minho was real ? A storm of worried thoughts and theories went through his mind, making him snap out of the bubbly sensation that was growing in his body with Minho's proximity. 

Jisung ended just muttering a small “yeah, sure”, suddenly releasing his hand from Minho’s hold. This action confused him, surprised by this sudden unusual rejection of skinship. 

The whole situation of those dreams was just getting weirder and weirder for the rapper. Is that normal to actually fall in love with someone created by your imagination ? After all, he did discover he was bi trough Minho. And the whole NCT situation just made it even harder for him to deal with his feelings, not feeling ready for any of this.

Should he find a way to erase Minho from his head and start to have normal dreams, and finally move on ? 

« Hey, Jisung. What’s wrong ? » 

Minho had kept silent for a while before speaking up, observing the youngest who was visibly preoccupied with fighting the thoughts going through his head, his look running away from the older’s.

« Nothing, don’t worry, » he answered in a voice quieter than usual, feeding even more Minho's concern. « Not that I trust this wood but the chance of getting us killed is probably less high there, let’s move. » 

Jisung used that as an excuse to change the subject because strangely, the creepy atmosphere had left as soon as Minho made his appearance, the forest looking now almost welcoming. 

Without any goals and surrounded by an awkward feeling, the two boys started to quietly walk, Minho still holding up the umbrella above the two of them. The situation he feared would happen since their last encounter was slowly taking place, painfully stabbing him in the heart._ It was too good to be true, after all_, sadly thought the taller one.

« You regret kissing me, right ? » suddenly said Minho out of nowhere, stopping his walk, making Jisung almost getting drenched by the rain, his heart sinking a bit with his words. 

He bit his lips, not responding immediately, the closeness caused by the umbrella between the two of them becoming more and more stifling. He did regret his last action, but not for the reason Minho would think.

« I can forget that if you want. You know, I’m just a dream, I should not even be supposed to remember a thing. » 

Trying to make it pass jokingly, it was pretty obvious that Minho’s smile was only to hide his heartache. This made Jisung suddenly panic, his eyes widening as he heard him speak.

« No please don’t, that’s not the problem ! I wanted this for so long ! » 

Minho's smile was immediately switched with a wide, genuine one. Jisung was agitating his hands, bouncing on his feet as panic was taking over him and blood rushed once more to his cheeks, ears burning.

« Okay, I give up ! That, you can forget please !

\- I wanted this for so long too. » 

The voice Minho used to say those words was sweet, his eyes showing pure emotions that couldn’t be said out loud, contrasting with Jisung's alarmed and chaotic tone. It put an end to his fuss, cutting his breath short and making him even redder than he already was, his skin feeling agonizingly burning. God, the feelings this man was making him go through are far too much for him to handle.

« O-okay, that’s cool… I mean, nice, I mean no !... We shouldn’t stay here, let’s walk. »

Yeah, Minho had the ability to turn Jisung into a mess with just the bare minimum. 

Trying to gather the little bit of confidence he had left, Jisung energetically grabbed the taller’s hand and started walking with a determined pace, dragging him behind him.

« Jisung, you can talk to me about anything, you know ?

\- Yeah, I know.

\- And if you want another kiss or even something more, I’m all here for you, he added while suggestively moving his eyebrows up and down.

\- SHUT UP! »

* * *

* * *

« Hello, sorry for the wait. I’m Doctor Moon Taeil. You must be Han Jisung ? » 

After waiting for a while in the office smelling like brand new Ikea furniture NCT’s secretary let him entered, a doctor wearing the cliché white blouse they’re wearing in movies entered, shaking Jisung’s hand with visible confidence before taking place in the chair behind the desk. He started opening up the computer, Jisung’s case popping up on the screen. He went past it quickly while making regular nodding sign with his head, having read it earlier, before directing his full attention to his subject.

« You’re a singular case, right ? So far, I haven't seen anyone like you. 

\- What do you mean ? » 

Taeil turned his screen toward Jisung, showing various graphics that he couldn’t understand. He took a pencil, using it to point out some parts of the curve made by the headset analysis.

« You got a really, how to say… interesting sleep pattern. We can see some anomalies that we never observed before, so it’s hard for me to make an adequate diagnostic at our first meeting. Usually, people go through five stages of sleep, the latest being deep sleep, where most dreams occur, it’s the most famous stage. »

Jisung nodded, being fully aware of what the dream stages were. He made enough research to know this basic knowledge. 

« But here is what’s strange: you seem to go through a sixth stage, a sleep even deeper than the previous one. » 

Doctor Moon continued with his speech for a while, getting into details that Jisung barely got a hold of. But basically, it seemed clear: there was something deeper behind the meanings and origins of his dreams, something that even science is just starting to try to unveil, thought that made chills run through Jisung's spine.

« You’re the closest case we got to our theory of synchronization of dreams, we thank you for accepting to cooperate. We would be grateful if you could come back to pursue further studies with us. »

* * *

* * *

Minho was the last one left in the dance studio, having practiced longer than anyone else. His dance team recently took part in a competition, and it was now more than ever the moment to get everything right.

Finally getting a break, the dancer let himself fall against the mirrored wall, grabbing a water bottle and his phone. Scrolling through his notifications after gulping the liquid, he noticed hurried messages from his fellow roommate. 

**[dance class felix]**

_ MINHO!!!!! _

_ LEE MINHO11!!!!!!!!! _

_ REPLY FFS _

_ LOOKS WHAT IF OUND _

Joined to it was a screenshot of a paused youtube add, the letter “NCT” in a fancy font being the main point of it. Underneath there was some information written, mostly talking about dreams research. 

_ May I ask why you were watching _

_ a video called “10 most satisfying _

_ moments in Minecraft” ? _

**[dance class felix]**

_ tHAt iS noT the point_

_ look at their website: _

He attached the link of the institute’s website, Minho clicking on it nonetheless. Quickly reading the first lines presenting the study, he found himself captivated, his instinct jumping out to tell him that it would maybe give him the reason of Jisung’s weird behavior.

**[dance class felix]**

_ they just opened up the institute, they prolly _

_ paid yt adds to gets more subjects _

_ but honestly,, _

_ thats a free diagnostic and maybe answers _

_ ab your dreams _

_ and jisung _

_ GO SEE THEM _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Told you it was short (it's fun-sized)
> 
> The next one will be EXTRA long tho... I didn't want to split it into two parts so be ready hehe
> 
> If you have any comments, opinions, compliments, treats (maybe not treats) to make, feel free to reply ! I know this fanfic is still pretty small in terms of the attention it's getting, so I'm still really confused about how people feel about it... I'm very open to receive any kind of comments!
> 
> My twt is @britneyspearb
> 
> See ya next time ~


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final conclusion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT'S !!!!!! FINISHED !!!!!!!!  
I'm sorry I've taken so much time to write the ending, I got quite busy lately and didn't want to rush it off.  
This is the first time I'm ever finishing a fanfic, it only deserves the best and I fell so deeply in love with this story.
> 
> This bit will be a long one, it longer than two chapters reunited so buckle up and get comfortable! 
> 
> Thank you so much for bearing with me until the last chapter of "In Happy Dreams Your Smile Make Day Of Night", and one last time, have a good reading.

It was dawn. This moment between dream and reality, where the drowsy city was slowly opening its eyes and pushing itself out of its bedsheets. A gaze of warm and yellow sunlight was trading the dark electric colors of the nightlife for a honey palette, a jaded sun reflecting himself in the windows of the tall buildings, blinding the unbothered swarm of workers striding along the streets who were too busy with their own preoccupations. A short blond rapper lost in a reverie was mindlessly walking along with the flow, a feeling of worry to be late pumping through his veins for no reason, but his sleeping state was preventing him from thinking about the meaning of his actions. 

Even if the situation wasn’t real, the setting was. On the other side of the road Jisung was walking by and a little bit further on the street was the building owned by NCT, deep in the heart of the business town of the city, conveniently placed not so far from the subway station. This would almost be a perfect replica of the real if we ignored this obnoxious detail: the road was replaced by a deep ravine. This fact barely shocked the rapper, accepting this deep abyss like it was always part of the city.

As he was advancing through the thick crowd of workers who were progressing in the same direction as him, his mind drowsy and unable to think straight, Jisung suddenly hit someone who was walking oppositely. The shock of the hit came as a more realistic feeling than what he experienced in this dream so far, having for effect to send a jolt to his train of thought, making him fully realize what was happening. When he looked up to the so-familiar eyes he learned to know and who fully “woke” him up, the realization came as a second hit of where (or in which state) he was.

« I finally fell asleep !, suddenly said Minho out loud when the consciousness of what was happening sunk in. Oh my god, Jisung, you’re here !»

On this exclamation, he rushed to cup Jisung’s face with his hands, making circles on his cheekbones with his thumbs to grasp the fact that he was really here. The younger was looking at him with a blithesome gaze, immediately diving in the warm and reassuring feeling of security the proximity with Minho was giving him, bringing his own hands on top of the older one.

« I thought I would never fall asleep, » stated Minho in a chuckle, looking in amazed at the boy that was finally in front of him. Jisung reflected his giggle, a sweet smile on his face, not unfazed by this sudden display of affection.

« I need you to listen to me carefully, okay ? », suddenly added Minho while stopping the motioning of his hands. Jisung blinked a moment, not understanding yet where this conversation was going.

« I went to NCT, » added Minho with a steady voice while keeping his eyes locked on Jisung’s. Eyes that suddenly went wide when he heard the words coming out of the taller’s mouth.

This simple sentence made Jisung’s mind go wild, multiple theories on the actual meaning of those words popping out of nowhere. His heart was beating as fast as if he had just learned that his crush already knew his feelings before him having the time to confess, except that in this case his crush already knew but could or not be unreal.

« Wait, Minho, what do you mean-

\- Jisung, just listen to me. I don’t know how much time we have. »

Jisung was trying to distance him from the proximity they were sharing, feeling like once more, his world was spinning from the revelation. Minho took back his face in his hands, with utter delicateness, making him focus back on the present moment.

« Please, we have to meet. We’ll wake up, and when we do we’ll meet here, but in real life, okay ?» 

Minho's voice was soft, calming Jisung worries, but not the beating of his heart. It can’t be real, Minho can’t be real. Is his brain playing tricks on him? But he felt like he could trust his words, a voice inside him was saying that this couldn't be a full creation of his mind.

« How are we gonna wake up ? », ended up muttering Jisung in a soft voice under his breath, still captivated by the intensities of the emotions he could see in the dancer’s eyes.

For the first time since they found each other this night, Minho looked up, his gaze being almost glued to the rapper’s. He looked around him, searching for a solution, an answer. The crowd has now fully vanished, letting the two boys alone in the intimacy of their heart, and the other side of the street has disappeared. Instead, the ravine was even deeper and recovered in a light layer of soft snowy haze reflecting the golden color of the sun piercing through the horizon.

Still holding each other close, Minho and Jisung were quietly observing this show of soft tints taking over the dream world. It was quiet, the spectacular sunrise taking too much attention for any of them to pay attention to a sound anyway, as if the orb was making its own wondrous harmony. As they were looking directly at the sun, it wasn’t blinding, instead, its light was welcoming them, shining right upon their souls.

Suddenly, Minho grabbed Jisung’s hand, a new feeling of certitude and determination pumping through his veins, an epiphany revitalizing his heart. The later looked up at him, a glimpse of curiosity in his eyes.

Minho knew there was only one way to wake up on purpose from a dream: it was to die in this said dream. 

« Do you trust me? »

Jisung didn’t hesitate and vigorously nodded, too dumbfounded to articulate words.

« As soon as you wake up, come meet me here in real life. Please, Jisung, don’t forget, okay? »

Minho didn’t know why he felt the urgency to reunite now with the smaller boy. Maybe it was the sunrise, a message of renewal and birth of a new world to come, the end of an era of doubt and heartache. There was only one thing making his heart beating in this instant: the conviction that it was now or never that he will prove to both of them the meeting of their realities.

He slightly leaned, letting a gentle kiss on Jisung’s forehead, trying to erase the confusion of his mind. It had the effect of warming up the younger, Minho’s lips leaving sprinkles of sunlight on the skin they touched and the yellow warmth of the sun drizzling on his heart. 

Then, still holding each other's hand tight, they disappeared into the haze covering the abyss.

* * *

* * *

Jisung sat up straight as soon as he woke up, gasping for air. He grabbed the place above his heart, the latest beating like crazy, trying to calm down his breathing, starting to feel relieved by the realization that he was not _actually _falling. He hated to wake up like that, with that so real sensation of collapsing in a never-ending depth, and the feeling of his whole world falling apart.

Finally calming his breath, he relaxed and let him fall backward, only for this time to be met with the smoothness of his pillow, trying to dive back in the comfort of sleep.

But an unpleasant sensation was lingering on his mind. The one you have when you know you’re remembering a glimpse of your dream, but you can’t put your finger on it. Even if you try to brush it off, that small flame of curiosity is still crackling in the back of your mind, too tickling to let you ignore its irritating presence.

He felt that it was actually important. That he should _not forget._

His eyes suddenly went wide open, letting out a gasp while his past dream was overflowing in his mind. Minho’s warmth, Minho’s eyes, Minho’s touch, Minho’s promise, Minho’s determination. 

He didn’t know why he was trusting his mind that much. But he abruptly jumped off of his bed in a hurried state, like if he realized that he slept through his alarms and was critically late, but in an even more hectic way.

He quickly put on some clothes, brushes up his hair to try to control the bird's nest that appeared on his head while sleeping, grabbed his phone and keys and rushed out of his shared apartment.

* * *

* * *

« Where are you going? »

It was almost 1 am, and not very surprisingly, Felix was still awake on his computer. He took off his headphones after hearing mushed sounds and went to pick through his room’s door, only to see Minho’s running around while struggling to put on his jacket at the same time.

« Where the fuck are my keys ? », snapped back the later, visibly in a haste, while he was throwing around the couch’s pillows to look under them.

« I saw them on the kitchen‘s counter. What’s happening? »

He barely had the time to finish his sentence that Minho was already rushing to the kitchen, grabbing his keys before losing no time to go put on his shoes. 

« I’m going to met Jisung.

\- Oh, okay… » Felix was already returning to his room when he froze, his mind processing the information. 

« Wait. You know a Jisung? You’re not talking about Han Jisung, right?

\- No dumbass, it’s Jisung, the one who’s producing music with his friends.

\- Isn’t that the same person? Wait, wait, wait! (at each wait he was getting closer to Minho who was already unlocking the door to get out) What does that mean ?»

But before he could have the chance to get an answer, Minho was already out, not losing a single second to dive into the darkness of the night, bringing his secret with him. 

If Felix was so confused, it’s because Minho hasn’t talked to him about his meeting at NCT yet, still himself too confused about the information he learned there.

* * *

* * *

A few hours ago, at the end of the afternoon, instead of running around as his life depended on it, Minho was quietly sitting in front of Doctor Qian Kun. The impeccably clean office was being occupied by a feeling of calm and seriousness specific to doctors, only quiets and carefully chosen sounds echoing through the room.

After talking about basic stuff that Minho didn’t pay attention to, the man responsible for his case pronounced words that will stick to his mind for a long time.

« In fact, your case is similar to another of our patients. We’re lucky to have you both on the study, really, because we could come to this conclusion, or consider it more of a hypothesis for the moment: both of your dream worlds are overlapping. »

Minho’s breath stuck in his throat, not able to say a thing, something that didn’t go unnoticed by the careful observation of Kun.

« Is there a recurrent event, or apparition, that happens in your dreams? »

These words had the direct effect to pump adrenaline through the dancer’s veins, hitching on his breath. Was it really happening?

« Is he called Han Jisung ? », suddenly said Minho, his voice louder than he intended, slightly starting to break the controlled atmosphere of the room.

« I’m sorry, but I’m not authorized to reveal information about other patients-

\- Fuck, I don’t care, aren’t I helping your study already? Can I just know if he’s called Han Jisung and is 19 years old ?! »

In a normal situation, Minho would have immediately noticed that he was going overboard and apologized, but with his mind running at a million different thoughts per second, he couldn't keep his calm. Not when he was so close to finally unveil the truth.

Kun hesitated a moment, not unphased by the strong emotions the man in front of him was going through. Even if he learned over the years to keep his professionalism, he was still a human, and this case wasn’t like anything he ever had to deal with. _ After all,_ he thought,_ they will have to meet anyway for further study. We can’t just let them go away, and they are clearly linked._

« Yes, finally answered Kun after some hesitation, looking at Minho with a comforting smile. He’s called Han Jisung and came here about a week ago, but since I wasn’t in charge of meeting him, I don’t know much more. Do you know him? »

* * *

* * *

Luckily, it was a night where the subways were closed later than usual, saving Jisung precious time to travel across the city.

The rapper was sat in an empty wagon, frenetically bouncing his leg. He was looking at himself in the windows, the darkness of the tunnel contrasting with the brightness inside the subway offering a perfect reflection. He knew Minho for so long and was more than comfortable around him, but he suddenly felt self-conscious.

For so long, Minho only appeared to him as a creation of his mind. A fantasy, something he had full control over, something that wouldn’t leave future consequences and could disappear at any moment. Even if the last part was developing a big ache in his heart, he was also using it as a way to hide his feelings, locking them preciously in a place he thought he could never show to the external world. His love for Minho, it was only stored in that magical place of his heart, this safe secret garden in which he could escape from the harsh reality of the world. 

All of that being pulled off in broad daylight, against the harsh cold wind of our ruthless society, was making Jisung’s head spin, both from fear and excitation. And the worst part is that the doubt was still lingering, the doubt of not finding Minho at their meeting spot, to wait and finally to realize that he’s not real, confining once and for all Jisung’s feelings in his secret room.

The small boy let out a deep sigh, trying to make the anxiety goes away. He brought his hand to his forehead, slightly touching it with his fingertips. The sensation of Minho's lips still so clear on his skin was not helping at all.

* * *

* * *

Minho was tugging his jacket closer to him, standing under the deem light that was providing a streetlight, a deep cloudless but starless night sky lining above his head. He wasn’t cold, he just felt the urge to cling to something, starting to feel hopeless in the empty world that was an asleep city. He has been waiting for only fifteen minutes, he knew that it wasn’t that long, that he didn’t actually give a precise hour to Jisung and that he could be living anywhere, but the wait was killing him.

To the complete opposite of the calm night, Minho’s mind was the equivalent of the biggest subway station of the city in the middle of the rush hour. How long should he wait anyway? The probability of the younger not showing up at all is still there too. Even if he was almost convinced that he was real now -a thought that was making his heart go crazy every time-, he still didn’t know if Jisung trusted him, or if Jisung even liked him the same way he does in his dream in real life for that matter. But Minho was ready to wait. He didn’t care how long he will have to wait, but he decided to act now and to try to figure it out as soon as possible.

An echo of steps reverberated on the street, a sounds cutting Minho’s breath and the train of thought. His nerves being as stretches like an elastic, every similar sound were making him jump in anticipation of the person that could be behind. So far, his hopes were let down every time, so it’s only half-heartedly with the fear of being discouraged once more that he looked up.

* * *

* * *

At this hour and on this side of the town, there was almost no one. Jisung was progressing with jiggly legs and a preoccupied mind, walking back on the path that he was earlier following in his dream. But this time, he was more than aware of his situation. He was painfully conscious of where he was walking and knew the meaning of the feeling of hurriedness he was feeling through his veins, feeding his whole body a sentiment of excitement mixed with anxiousness.

He just had to turn the street, and he will finally know. Here will finally comes the moment that will probably change his life, by or not by a disappointment. 

The first thing he saw was a man leaning against a wall. As familiar as his frame was, Jisung was trying to calm down the beating of his heart, still unsure of the identity of this shadow in the night. 

But he couldn’t fight back any of his feelings when the man turned around, locking eyes with Jisung. There weren't any doubts left in his mind, just pure chock. Locking eyes with him in the real world was far more intense, sending him a flashback of all of his previous memories with him.

The two boys stood there a moment, both completely frozen from head to toes, not letting out a sound. Jisung was completely hypnotized and transcended by the view of the man of his dreams in front of him, his presence multiplied by all of the factors of the outside world: the breeze of the soft wind flowing through his locks, the breathing motion of his chest, how his eyelashes looked when he blinked- all of those details were only proving that he was indeed real, and not just a mere dream.

After a moment of silent astound shock, Minho was the first one to make a move.

« Hi », he simply said with an awkward wave of the hand.

It was enough to make Jisung break out of his paralyzing trance. Without thinking, his legs started moving, making him sprint toward Minho, tackling him in an embrace. The taller was quick to react, immediately wrapping his arm over his thin frame, while the boy was burying his face in his neck, Minho’s heart beating fast against his own due to the proximity of their chest. 

After a moment of pure appreciation of each other’s warmth, Jisung raised his head, tacking fully the blissful sign of Minho right in front of him. His mind was barely able to process what was happening.

« I can’t believe you real », whispered Jisung, with short breath and eyes sparkling while scanning over Minho’s features.

« Kiss me to find out », he simply answered with a soft smile.

The small rapper chuckled over his bold suggestion, not turning it back nonetheless, pink dusting over his cheeks. There was no hesitation when he closed the gap between Minho’s lips and his.

Minho’s lips were as soft as his smile, bringing a sensation even better than the one of their dreams. Finally meeting him, being able to touch him and feel his passion, was suffocating in the best way. He felt himself dissolving under his love, becoming one person in the ocean of their emotions, a wave of strong passionate feelings washing him up while he was getting drowned in Minho’s touch.

When they finally pulled out, Jisung slowly opened his eyes, only to be met with the dancer’s tender gaze instead of his bedroom ceiling. This time, he didn‘t wake up, even if he swore that it was too good to be real.

They dumbly smiled to each other before giggling in the night, the echo of their laughter reverberating through the street, the delightful sound filling the emptiness of the night. Jisung’s head fell against Minho’s torso, letting out a breath of contentment while the taller one was still pulling him in a warm embrace, drawing a soft pattern on his back with his hand. 

Suddenly, Jisung felt soft vibrations through Minho’s chest, looking up to the sight of Minho chuckling.

« I can’t believe you’re actually tiny, you’re so cute. »

Those simple words had the effect to quickly bring red colors to Jisung’s cheeks and make his heart skip a beat, still not used to the effect the older boy had on him.

« And you, I can’t believe that you’re… » he started, pulling out slightly from their embrace to have a better look at him. Minho broke into a funny face, Jisung scoffing at his weird behaviors, his gaze softening as he looked at the one that was making his heartbeat go crazy.

« You are so beautiful », he ended up saying, surprising both of them with his words.

« Shut up or I’m gonna kiss you again.

\- Make me. », the smaller boy says, while they closed one more time the gap between the two of them. The same feeling of satisfaction and pure bliss filled their chest one more time, not used yet to share that kind of intimacy. 

After they broke apart, Jisung suddenly hit Minho with a small fist, making him jump.

« What was that for ? » said Minho in a surprised tone.

« For trying to kill me in our dream! That was scary, you know ! » he complained, carrying on with his assault of punches on Minho’s shoulder. 

« I’m sorry, I didn’t have a choice ! » tried to fight back Minho, but with no effect on his lover puffing adorably his cheek as an attempt to look angry. « Okay- what about I bring you on our first date in the real world to make up? » 

This successfully stopped Jisung's attack, making him raise a brow while a playful smile was taking place on his face.

« I don’t know if anything could beat our actual first “date” in a burning Starbuck with a tyrannosaur as a barista.

\- Let’s find a place to watch the sunrise together ?»

As Minho said those words, he stretched out his hand for him to take. Jisung faked hesitating, crossing his arms while contemplating his offer.

« Well, the subway must be closed by now and I don’t feel like getting home right now… guess I’m stuck with you, huh ?»

He concluded his answer by grabbing Minho’s hand, his skin already missing the appeasing warmth of the dancer's body. The older tugged him closer, scoffing as his act with a smile on his lips. His heart was happily pounding against his chest, a feeling of delight overflowing in his veins and filling him up from head to toes. Having Jisung's hand in his felt right. To have him close, to feel him breathing next to him felt right, and made the sour taste of reality sweeter. At this moment, they both knew that there wasn't any place left for doubt. 

There was only place for both of them, and their secret garden that they didn't have to fight back anymore.

As they walked away hand in hand, they weren’t running. They weren’t falling anymore, they heart lightweight from being high on their love, a feeling they knew now they won’t lose day or night. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's over... woa, I'm kinda sad now.  
Aren't you ?  
Thank you so much for reading my fanfic until the end. It was really fun keeping up with this project and I hope everyone had as much fun as I.  
But this is not over for me ~~ I'm currently working on a minsung one shot and a minbin serie, so... stay hyped ? Haha, just kidding... unless ?
> 
> My twt is @britneyspearb
> 
> Once again, thank you so much for taking your time reading "In Happy Dreams Your Smile Make Day Of Night".
> 
> ~~La fin~~


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